Mandrel assembly for winding machines



Julyl, 1969 R. J. PATT( DN 3,452,941

MANDREL ASSEMBLY FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1967 H FIG. I 44 2o 4 40 26 92523 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,452,941 MANDREL ASSEMBLY FOR WINDING MACHINES Ralph J. Patton, Lexington, N.C., assignor to National Engineering, Inc., Lexington, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 556,055, June 8, 1966. This application Nov. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 689,226

Int. Cl. B65h 49/26, 75/24 U5. Cl. 24246.3 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 556,055 filed June 8, 1966 and now abandoned.

Various devices have been previously employed for releasably holding a cone (hereinafter sometimes called a yarn carrier) during a yarn winding operation, after which the filled yarn carrier is dotted or removed from the spindle. All such devices of which I am aware have releasably held the carrier through the use of radially applied pressure exerted against the inner surface of the carrier. The radial pressure is relaxed or removed when it is desired to doif the full carrier in such prior art devices. For example, see Patent No. 2,860,838, which shows radially movable elements which may be selectively moved into engagement with the inner surface of a yarn carrier to hold it during a winding operation and moved radially inwardly away from the yarn carrier to permit it to be doifed when full. Patents Nos. 1,887,790, 2,414,054 and 2,746,689 are also exemplary of known devices which employ radially directed pressure against the inner surface of the carrier for holding it on the spindle during winding. There are many other patents showing various arrangements for applying pressure radially against the inner surface of a yarn carrier to hold it on the spindle during winding.

Devices of the nature described have proven objectionable for use with plastic cones or yarn carriers because of the difficulty in obtaining a secure grip on the slick, hard plastic. Another disadvantage encountered with devices which exert radial pressure against the yarn carriers is that such devices sometimes cut or damage the tail or length of yarn which is covnentionally placed inside the carrier prior to winding, thereby interfering with subsequent processing of the yarn.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide means for releasably holding a yarn carrier during winding through the application of axial pressure on the carrier sufiicient to retain the carrier firmly on the spindle during winding and easily operable to relieve the axial pressure to doff the carrier.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a device of thetype described which comprises a mandrel journaled on a spindle of a winding machine and rotatable relative thereto. The mandrel is exteriorly shaped to conform to the configuration of the yarn carrier throughout a sufficient extent of the carrier to provide adequate support for the carrier during winding. The mandrel includes stop means at its end adjacent the fixed end of the spindle to serve as a seat for a yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel. A spring-lock retaining head extends from the other end of the mandrel, including a plurality of resilient fingers each having a thickened end portion which collectively define an annular head of greater diameter than the inner diameter of the yarn carrier. The annular head on the end of the retaining member is spaced from the stop means an effective distance equal to the length of the yarn carrier whereby the yarn carrier is held under axial pressure during winding. Axially movable ejector means are provided adjacent the fixed end of the spindle which are selectively engageable with the proximal end of the yarn carrier to move the carrier axially outwardly of the mandrel and collapse the resilient fingers on the retaining head to permit the carrier to be doffed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mandrel assembly for yarn carriers which is capable of firmly supporting a yarn carrier on a spindle for rotation therewith regardless of the material from which the yarn carrier is made and which has no radially movable parts to interefere with yarns placed inside the carrier prior to winding.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a device of the type described which may be easily installed on existing equipment and by means of which a carrier may be firmly seated on a spindle with a minimum of effort by an operator and readily ejected in a single motion when doffing.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mandrel assembly with a portion of the spindle support shown in elevation and showing a yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel for winding;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but rotated ninety degrees and showing the yarn carrier ejected to doffing position;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the retaining head removed from the mandrel;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of the retaining head, also removed from the mandrel, and showing a fragmentary portion of a yarn carrier in dotted lines;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the ejecting collar removed from the mandrel assembly; and

FIGURE 6 is a side view of the ejecting collar removed from the mandrel assembly.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a spindle suitably supported on a winding machine, not shown. A mandrel 11 extends about the spindle 10 and is retained thereon between a collar 12 fixed to the spindle 10 adjacent its fixed end and by a headed screw 13 protruding axially at the free end of the spindle 10. The mandrel 11 is journaled on the spindle 10 by bushings or bearings 14, and washers 15 are preferably disposed between the mandrel and the collar 12 and screw 13. The mandrel 11 has an axial bore through which the spindle 10 extends, which bore is countersunk at each end to define shoulders 16 against which the bushings 14 seat or bottom when operatively installed.

The outer configuration of the mandrel 11 is shaped to adequately conform to the inner configuration of a yarn carrier C with which the invention is adapted to be used to prevent its collapse during winding. In this connection, it is noted that the invention is useful with yarn cones of various dimensions, and while the invention is described in connection with a three degree, fifty-one minute cone, it is to be understood that neither the utility nor the scope of the invention is so limited. While the mandrel is shaped to conform with the inner configuration of the carrier with which it is intended to be used, the mid-portion of the mandrel may be cut away to define an open area as indicated at 17. Such an arrangement enables sufficient support to be givein the yarn carrier and at the same time reduces the skin friction encountered during doffing of the carrier from the mandrel.

An annular flange 20 extends radially outwardly from the end of the mandrel adjacent the fixed end of the spindle. The flange 20 serves as a seat or stop means to arrest inward movement of the yarn carrier C positioned on the mandrel as shown in FIGURE 1.

A retaining head 21 is fastened to the other end of the mandrel adjacent the free end of the spindle as by screws 22. In the embodiment shown, the retaining head 21 comprises a tubular body member 23 having a base 24 through which the screws 22 extend. A plurality of resilient fingers 25 are provided on the tubular body 23. While the fingers 25 are radially collapsible responsive to the application of a predetermined amount of pressure to doff the carrier, they are dimensioned to provide support for the corresponding end of the carrier during winding. Thus, adjoining fingers are broader than the space therebetween so that the tubular body 23 is enabled to engage the carrier throughout a major portion of its inner diameter during winding. Also the body 23 including the fingers 25 is of suflicient thickness to provide the requisite stiffness for support of the carrier C against collapse during winding. In the illustrated embodiment the tubular body 23 is of smaller diameter than the proximal end of the mandrel 11, thereby creating an annular space indicated at S between the tubular body 23 and the yarn carrier C positioned on the mandrel. It is of course within the scope of the invention to enlarge the diameter of the tubular body 23 to more nearly conform with the inner dimension of the carrier and thereby provide even greater support against collapse of the carrier. However, certain manufacturing economies are realized in the illustrated embodiment.

Each of the resilient fingers 25 has a thickened free end portion or shoulder 26, the shoulders 26 collectively defining an annular head or retaining bead engageable with the proximal end of the yarn carrier C. Each of the shoulders 26 is formed by an angularly disposed wall 27 which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, extends at an angle of about fifteen degrees to the normal plane of its respective finger 25 as shown in FIGURES 1 through 3. The wall 27, in the form of invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3 is about one-fifth the length of its respective finger 25, and due to this length it is possible for the mandrel assembly to accommodate yarn carriers of a reasonably wide tolerance in length.

In circumstances where there is no variation in the length of the carriers to be used with the mandrel assembly, it may be desirable to use the form of retaining head shown in FIGURE 4 at 21'. The head 21' differs from the retaining head 21 only in the configuration of the retaining head 26'. The retaining bead 26' is of semicircular cross-sectional configuration and is adapted to accommodate successive carriers of a uniform length whose proximal ends abut the retaining bead 26 and are thereby retained on the mandrel in the same manner as described in connection with the form of invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The carrier C shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4 illustrates how the bead 26 engages the end of the carrier to hold the carrier against the stop member 20. Since the remainder of the structure of the head 21' is like the head 21, like reference numerals with the prime notation added have been used to designate like parts, and no further description is deemed necessary.

The spindle 10 extends axially from a tubular base or holder 30 which may be supported on a winding machine in a conventional manner. The base 30 loose-1y suports a slidable collar assembly broadly designated at 31. The

collar assembly 31 is normally urged away from the mandrel 11 to the position shown in FIGURE 1 by a spring 32 which surrounds the spindle 10 and extends between the fixed collar 12 and the slidable collar 31. A pair of oppositely directed pins 33, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1, extend radially from the base to limit axial movement of the slidable collar 31 in a direction away from the retaining head 21.

The slidable collar 31 includes a cam surface 34 for each of the pins 33. The collar assembly 31 also includes a handle 35 and an axially projecting stop pin 36 engageable with one of the radial pins 33 to limit rotational movement of the collar 31 relative to the base 30.

As will be apparent from FIGURES 1 and 2, the handle 35 may be manipulated to overcome the spring 32 by biasing the cam surfaces 34 past the radial pins 33, thereby moving the slidable collar 31 from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to that shown in FIGURE 2.

An ejection collar 40 is fixed to the slidable collar 31 and projects radially outwardly beyond the sliding collar 31. As most clearly seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, the ejection collar 40 includes an annular base 41 from the outer edge of which projects a first annular flange 42 which extends toward the mandrel 11. A second annular flange 43 extends inparallel relation to the flange 42 and about a shouldered portion 37 of the sliding collar 31.

The ejection collar 40 is movable with the sliding collar 31 toward and away from the mandrel 11 and the proximal end portion of the mandrel 11 is hollowed out as at 44 to accommodate the flange 43 and the slidable collar 31. The axially extending annular flanges 42 and 43 on the collar 40 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to accommodate the proximal end portion of the mandrel 11 and its annular seat or stop member 20 when the ejection collar is moved into the dofling position shown in FIGURE 2. The outer annular rim 42 on the collar 40 is positioned to engage the proximal end of the carrier C which, as will be apparent in FIGURES l and 2, extends radially beyond the stop member 20 where it may be engaged by the flange 42.

Assuming that it is desired to position a yarn carrier on the mandrel 11, the slidable collar 31 is positioned as shown in FIGURE 1 to move the ejection collar 40 away from the mandrel 11, after which a yarn carrier C is passed over the retaining head 21 until the inner end of the carrier C abuts against the stop member 20 and the outer end of the carrier C is engaged by the retaining head 26 as shown in FIGURE 1. It will be understood, of course, that the fingers 25 flex radially inwardly under pressure of the carrier C as the free end portion of the carrier passes over the retaining bead 26, after which the fingers 25 move radially outwardly to cause the retaining head 26 to engage the free end of the carrier C as shown in FIGURE 1.

Assuming that it is desired to doff the carrier C from the mandrel assembly, the slidable collar 31 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 2 which carries with it the ejection collar 40, thereby causing the outer flange 42 on collar 40 to engage the proximal or inner end of the carrier C and move it axially away from the stop 20. Movement of the free or outer end portion of the carrier C over the retaining bead 26 causes the fingers 25 to move radially inwardly to the position shown in FIG- URE 2, at which point the operator may grasp the carrier C and pull it axially from the mandrel assembly to complete the dofling operation.

There is thus provided an improved device for firmly but releasably retaining yarn carriers made from either paper or plastic and of conical configuration during winding of yarn on the carrier, after which the carrier may be removed from the mandrel assembly rapidly and efficiently and without damage to either the carrier or the yarn tail carried thereby.

While the invention is described in the environment of a winding machine, it is to be understood that its utility is not so limited, the invention being useful to provide support for yarn carriers in any environment such as, for example, looms and knitting machines.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A mandrel assembly for supporting tapered yarn carriers comprising a fixed spindle, a tapered mandrel of generally conical configuration rotatably mounted on said spindle, said mandrel including a base end of greater diameter than the other end of the mandrel, stop means extending radially from adjacent the base end of the mandrel defining a seat for the base of a tapered yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel, a retaining head on said other end of the mandrel, said retaining head comprising a tubular body including a plurality of movable fingers and engageable with a major portion of the inner periphery of said yarn carrier at its corresponding end portion to support said carrier against collapse during winding, and said movable fingers each including a cammed shoulder collectively defining a retaining bead engageable with the corresponding end of a yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel to exert axial pressure thereagainst to releasably retain the yarn carrier on the mandrel, and said shoulder being movable inwardly with their respective fingers and out of engagement with the tapered yarn carrier as the carrier is moved away from the base end of the mandrel upon the application of a pre-determined amount of pressure against the tapered yarn carrier away from the base end of the mandrel.

2. A mandrel assembly for supporting tapered yarn carriers comprising a fixed spindle, a tapered mandrel of generally conical configuration rotatably mounted on said spindle, said mandrel including a base end of greater diameter than the other end of the mandrel, stop means extending radially from adjacent the base end of the mandrel defining a seat for the base of a tapered yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel, a retaining head on the other end of the mandrel, said retaining head comprising a tubular body engageable with a major portion of the inner periphery of said yarn carrier at its corresponding end portion to support said carrier against collapse during winding, and a plurality of radially extending and radially movable cammed shoulders on said tubular body the cammed surfaces of which are normally engageable with said corresponding end of a yarn carrier on said mandrel during winding, and said shoulders being movable inwardly upon the application of a pre-determined amount of axial pressure against the 'base end of said yarn carrier and out of engagement with the tapered yarn carrier as the carrier is moved away from the base end to doff said carrier.

3. A mandrel assembly according to claim 1 wherein said retaining bead is defined by gradually tapering outer walls on each of said resilient fingers.

4. A mandrel assembly according to claim 3 wherein said gradually tapering outer wall bisects the plane of its corresponding finger at a point closely spaced from the end of the finger opposite the base end of the mandrel and about one-fifth the distance between the ends of its respective finger.

5. A mandrel assembly according to claim 1 which includes means for ejecting the yarn carrier from the mandrel.

6. A mandrel assembly according to claim 5 wherein said means comprises an ejecting collar mounted for reciprocatory axial movement on said spindle adjacent the base end of the mandrel, said ejecting collar including a radially disposed base and an annular flange extending from said base toward said other end of the mandrel, said annular flange on the ejecting collar being dimensioned to selectively extend past said stop means on the base end of the mandrel and engage the base end of a yarn carrier positioned on the mandrel, and means imparting sufificient axial movement to the ejecting collar from its normal position to its ejecting position to doif the yarn carrier.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,075,461 10/1913 Chapman 24246.6 1,259,448 3/ 1918 Reynolds 242-41 1,842,718 1/1932 Dunlap 24246.6 X 2,417,525 3/ 1947 Smith 242-462 X 2,860,838 11/1958 Keith 242-463 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 2424l, 46.6 

